Portret van een man met bakkenbaarden 1867 - 1888

This portrait of a man with sideburns was made by Johannes Wilhelmus Franciscus Offenberg, using an albumen print, a popular photographic process in the 19th century. To make an albumen print like this, the artist coated paper with egg white and silver nitrate. The paper was then exposed to light through a negative, creating a detailed image with a soft, warm tone. The creation of albumen prints was labor-intensive, as it required careful preparation of the paper and precise timing during exposure. The widespread adoption of photography was driven by the demand for affordable portraits among the burgeoning middle class. Studios sprung up to meet that need. The rise of photography democratized portraiture. Photography challenged traditional distinctions between art and craft, as its mechanical and chemical processes blurred the lines between artistic skill and technological innovation.